Monday, August 13, 2012

Let us Reason Together

When I was in school, a majority of my classmates had little or no interest in current events. Oh, big things like what pop star had a chart topping single or who was winning the Super Bowl peaked their interest, but little things, like what was happing in Chechnya or who was really to blame in the Iran-Contra affair left them glassy-eyed and limp. When I would start talking about Lt. Oliver North or bleeding-heart liberals, they would roll their eyes and say things like "She's a nice girl, but strange".

Not only were politics off-limits to my classmates, religion was as well. When I would ask if Christians had to live by Old Testament Law or if they were governed by Grace alone, my friends would laugh and say "who cares? What are you wearing to the dance on Friday night?" I just didn't get it - they didn't seem to care about the things that I thought were most important in life.

When I became a mother I wanted to pass my vision, my passion, on to my children. I wanted them to seek God and love Him. I wanted them to know what was going on in the world and to stand up for what was right and good. I wanted them to be able to reason - to make their case - to be engaged. And so, I started thinking about how I became engaged. What I discovered startled me and changed my entire view on education and parenting.

When I was very young, my parent became Christians. They were good friends with another couple that were new Christians themselves. Our families would get together frequently and our parents would talk. No, they did more than talk. They would pull out their bibles start turning pages and talking a mile a minute. "It says we need to...", "Yes, but over here, it says this...". Pages turned, thoughts were exchanged, excitement filled the air. I sat, listening, mesmerized. My parents were passionate. They genuinely wanted to know the truth. They genuinely wanted to do God's will. They were true seekers. As I listened to my parents and their friends, I was engaged. Here was a group of adults reasoning together, and we, their children, longed to be a part of this great thing. Never, in children's church or youth group had I been so effectively engaged than sitting in my living room listening to my elders. If I had a question, I would timidly, quietly ask. Immediately pages flew and my dad, my mom and our friends would seek God's answer. They would explain verses, help me understand the meaning. They made me want to know.

I came to find out that I was not the first child to be engaged by reasoning with their elders. Jesus, when he was twelve was found in the temple reasoning with the elders. He wasn't hanging out with a group of his peers, talking about their latest happenings, he was engaged with the elders of the land.

My dad has always been politically aware. During our evening meal, my parents would often talk about what was going on in the world. Not only did we discuss current events, we discussed how those events lined up with scripture. We talked about the morality of any given situation and discussed how God would have had us handle the situation. My brother and I reasoned together with our parents. Their take on political and religious issues weren't relegated to dusty books filled with dates and useless information, they were alive, relevant and engaging.

Do you ever wonder why our population is spiritually bankrupt and politically apathetic? Perhaps it is because we have never reasoned with our elders. Perhaps the only reasoning we do involves mass media and an agenda driven educational system. Perhaps our reasoning skills revolve around an Xbox and an Ipod.

Sir Knight and I frequently discuss the state of the nation, moral issues and religion. We question, we search and we dig deep. When we are in the midst of a rousing conversation our children are glued to our side. They have questions. They have ideas. They have input. Because we talk about all of life, they are aware and engaged. They would much rather discuss Middle Eastern relations and Israel's place in the world than they would major league sports. They hunger for biblical answers to the modern problems our world faces and desire to know how they fit into the grand scheme of things. They love to sit at the feet of their parents and reason with their elders.

As parents and elders we need to engage our children. We need to reason with them day and night. We need to talk about what is going on in the world and seek after the truth. We need to engage our children in the history we are making. The greatest education comes not from books, facts and figures but from the young reasoning with the old.

10 comments:

My parents aren't practicing Christians, but I had a similar upbringing...we discussed current events constantly. We still do. I am glad that my parents, consciously or not, provided that to me so that I can then do the same with my children.

Enola, I haven't read such an exciting, relevent, engaging piece in a long time! Unfortunately, I did not have such an upbringing and only became spiritually and politically aware when 'up in age'. Thanks for your words today! I love your blog and posts!

I was raised in a go-to-church-on-Holidays only, yet Jesus loving, military home. Politics were front and center as they affected my father and his troops in ways many civilians will never understand. I married a man from the same background, who followed his fathers footsteps. We try very hard to use the Golden Rule and praise Jesus for our many blessings and understand that we can not separate our Christian beliefs from our political beliefs, in order to follow the Constitution our wise forefathers gave us. We home school our youngest and our faith and political discussions are very much a part of that. How many of societies current social problems would be solved if the Good Book was used to guide people's actions, and by solving the social problems, we would be much farther along solving the economic problems created by the idol worshippers who have made government their god, looking to it for their sustenance and salvation instead of our Creator and His Word. Some of this is because the parents have not passed their values down, letting the state take over; and some is because that generation is passing their values of letting the state provide for every need down to their children...

Thank you again for your timely, exciting piece. You are a true inspiration, doing the Father's work.

Lots of thoughts. I'm terribly sorry it has taken me so long to write, but I do get behind with the business of life. I couldn't possibly share all my thoughts on this limited media. I will put a letter in the mail. Please bear with me.

Yes, yes, yes! What children crave most is to engage mentally and emotionally with their parents and that is how they absorb values -through living out who we are. "When we lie down and rise up and walk by the way."I often have to remember this when my daughter keeps asking, "why, why, why..." it is not to drive me crazy, it is to keep me engaged with her.If we won't fill this need, they turn to peers and mass media, shallow things to feel like they belong.

Oh, yes Ellen....You are so right! As a child, I asked 'why' a lot but smacked down for aggravating a parent. You are so right about a child turning to others for answers! If not for the loving forgiveness of the Father and believing His Word, I could live the rest of my life in regret. It's a sacrifice of self and time but keep your precious children close and engaged in all areas of life, while you can. Time passes quickly and no guarantee of a tomorrow.

I agree totally - somebody, I think it was Jefferson, said that a democracy would only work with thinking, involved people (or something like that). When you don't think or care you become sheeple and follow whims and emotions instead of logic!

Not an 'official card carring' Christian but clearly spiritial in my view personal and world view point, the sad fact is that public shools (the main source of 'education' today) teach children what to think and not how to think. My parents, God rest both of them had me reading when I was four years old and challenged my emerging views throughout their lives. Critical think is parimount to a free society - period. Sadly, with the MSM controlling the mass populations information source, we as a society are screwed (to put it bluntly). There are not many (have have never been many) that I have met through out my life that can articulate their views or sustain a challenge to their belief systems.

Politics were virtually unknown, and religion just sort of hit-or-miss at home when I was a child. My parents tended to be on the technical side-at 10, I could(and did) change plugs and install an antenna rotor(on a 60 ft tower), but my knowledge of politics ended with knowing who was president,and the usual things you would be taught about history at that age. I have (and always have had), an interest in what I call technohistory-and astronomy/space travel, but to this day,I have very little interest in politics, or world events. I suppose the best you can hope for is that world leaders don't do something truly stupid, like start a nuclear war. I'm not saying my views are right-just that to me, politics is a lot like watching epoxy set up...not all that interesting. I had what I consider very good parents,who spent a lot of time with me in what would be considered home schooling prior to, and in addition to, public school.

When I was in school, prayer and religious organizations within the school were permitted,even though this was well after the school prayer ban. Some teachers said a prayer at the start of the day, a prayer was said before sporting events-this was considered perfectly normal. No one got their shorts torqued over it. In voting, I vote for the person I think will do the least amount of damage,and allow me to live my life as I see fit. Any improvements in your life are ones you do yourself.

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About Me

I am a christian, conservative, survival minded, homeschooling,off-grid, independent, home-birthing, Proverbs 31, Titus 2 minded 40 year old woman. I live with my husband and five children in our solar/generator powered shop on 30 acres. We are homestead types who try to do as much as we can ourselves, but understand the importance of community.